The Unseen
by The 12DBHK
Summary: A blind girl wants to become a ninja, but can she overcome her disability?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter one: The Blind ninja

A small boy, no older than 10 years of age, lay upon the cement roof. He had dark hair which he kept in a small ponytail high on his head. He had small brown eyes that gazed up at the sky. He rested his head in his hands as he watched as the clouds moved slowly across the great azure space. He was quickly jerked from his relaxation as he heard voices shouting angrily in the house next door. He sat up, to see what was going on.

"I want to go, and you won't stop me!" yelled a female, as a door slammed. The boy then saw a girl appear on the roof next to him.

She was about the same age. She was tall, had spiky black hair with a red tinge to it. She wore baggy black pants and a plain purple shirt. Her face hidden from his view, but to the boy, it looked as if she was crying. He could see she was wiping her eyes in silent sorrow. The boy sighed, and decided to see if she needed comfort.

As he hopped over to the next roof, she whipped around to look at him. "Who are you? Did you hear all of that?" She growled, but then softened her voice. "Sorry, I did not mean to be rude…" she apologized. The girl stared at him with blank eyes; they had a silver sheen on the corneas. The boy realized she was blind.

"You are blind?" He asked surprised, and rudely. The girl turned her face away, but kept a soft composure.

"I am, what of it?" She answered, in an almost growl.

"I'm sorry, that was rude of me. I was just surprised…" the boy began.

"It's ok, I get that a lot." She said, almost with a smile. Her sudden change of attitude startled the boy. She was facing him once again, even with her glossy eyes; the boy could see that her eye color was that of deep gold. He found them very pretty.

""What is your name?" she asked him, stepping closer to him.

"Shikamaru Nara, and you are?" he replied.

"Haruka Tatsu" she replied in kind. She kept walking closer to Shikamaru. "Would you mind if I...feel your face? I want to get a mental image of you."Haruka muttered, slightly embarrassed.

Shocked at her request, he reluctantly replied "If you really want to." And she placed her soft hands on his right cheek and ran her finger tips over his face. Shikamaru shuddered at her touch, and found that he was blushing slightly.

"Were you coming up here to comfort me?" She asked, pulling her hand away after a few moments.

"I was hoping to accomplish as much." He replied, and he turned to leave. "Seems you are ok now," Shikamaru got ready to jump back over the railing.

"Wait, are you going to join the Ninja academy?" Haruka asked, almost raising her hand towards him.

"I am, but it's going to be such a drag…" he replied, turning back to face her. Haruka fell silent, and then closed her eyes for a moment.

"I want more than anything to become a ninja, but with my lack of sight, my mother thinks I am incapable." She spoke with a very determined voice.

Shikamaru watched her, not knowing how to ask a blind girl how they would do that. So he decided to just say "I hope you accomplish your dream" in a hopeful support. Haruka just stood there, and he could not determine what she was thinking at all. She held herself tall, like she had full confidence in her dream.

"You doubt that I can, you are just being nice." She whispered. "Just because I am blind, it does not mean I cannot see." She walked up to the edge of the roof, to Shikamaru; it looked as if she was going to fall off. In alarm, he rushed over to her. Haruka jumped from the edge and front flipped over the chasm to another roof with ease. Shikamaru was left stunned on the other roof for a few moments. He watched as Haruka jumped back.

"How can you do that?" He pried in disbelief.

"I was born blind, so I had to come up with other ways to see. I can feel vibrations in the ground," Haruka shifter her feet, that's when Shikamaru realized she was barefooted. "I can feel people's unique chakras, and can tell people apart from them."

"How can you judge distances?" he inquired, his eyes were curious.

"By hearing the echo of sound, much like a bat." She replied smiling. She saw that the boy could imagine how to do it.

"That is pretty cool" he muttered in a relaxed tone. "So, one more question, are you joining the academy?" he questioned.

"If all goes well" she replied, walking back to the door in which she first emerged. "It was nice meeting you Shikamaru. I would be pleased to walk with you to the academy tomorrow, if it's not too much to ask." She waited for his response.

"Why not?" he asked, sounding kind of annoyed that he was going to walk with a girl. Haruka smiled happily, and her face lit up.

"See you around!" And she vanished behind the door. Shikamaru shrugged, and went back to his roof.

XXXX

Haruka dashed into her house, startling her mother who was in the kitchen preparing dinner. "Slow down Haruka dear." She hollered to her now vanished child. Haruka jumped onto her bed and flopped on her back.

"I have to go now, whether they like it or not!" She said aloud to herself. She knew the academy opened tomorrow, so she had to rush to find her things. She gathered her ninja gear that was an assortment of weapons. She could never let her mom find them in her room, so she hid them in the attic of the house. She also kept her most prized possession up there, a great masamune given to her by her great grandfather in secret. She knew it well, and could easily wield it. She focused her fighting style around it. Though blind, she could still do poses, and techniques just like any other person. Haruka's grandfather also taught her some offensive kinjutsu.

The Tatsu clan had originated from the Mist village, and decided to move to Konoha, protect future generations from their blood thirsty antics. They made a pact with Konoha and have lived there since the end of the 3 Ninja World War. It has been 7 years since the Tatsu have resided in Konoha, and there was still little know about them. She was brought he as a newborn, so she didn't even remember the mist village. He grandfather was a very powerful ninja in the Mist village, and feared for his skills in chakra control with a blade.

Haruka hoisted the large blade, and unsheathed it. It was cool to her touch, and sharp as ever. The blade was very unique. When swung, it made a soft whistling sound. It helped Haruka a great deal, for the sound echoed off of everything and made it very easy for her to find her surroundings. As if it was made for a blind swordsman. Her Grandfather said it was called the "Honjo" Masamune. He claimed it was one of the most beautiful swords ever made.

"Haruka, Supper is ready!" Her mom's voice sounded through the floor. Haruka quickly shoved all her belongings under her bed before heading downstairs. The smell of pork stir fry met her nose as she sat down at the dinner table with her parents. Taking up her chopsticks, she muttered "Idatakimasu" before she started to wolf down her meal with intense hunger.

"Easy Haruka, there is always tomorrow" her father said smiling, as he watched his child. Her father was tall, had long silver hair. His eyes were aged, and the color of honey. His face was held in a smile of amusement. His age was undefined, for he looked young, but with his white hair and old eyes, he looked almost like an elder.

"I know" Haruka smiled sheepishly. "But mom's cooking is always so good!" and continued to devour her food at an alarming rate. Her mother just laughed at her remark.

"If you continue to eat at a rate such as that, you will choke dear" her mother interjected. Haruka finally slowed down.

"Mother" she began. Haruka intended to bring up certain subject to converse about. "Why will you not let me become a ninja?" she muttered, hoping to change her mind in a last ditched effort.

"It's too dangerous for someone such as you. You know full well why you cannot" Her mother replied, in a not so nice tone. Haruka's father cleared his throat.

"Yoko, why not let her try? You know she is capable. Though blind, she is more aware of her surroundings than even some ninja I know." Her father began. He was a Jonin for Konoha after all.

"I just don't want to see her get hurt, Suzaku…" Yoko replied, her eyes hidden in thought. "We both know the dangers a ninja must face."

"I'm stronger than you think mother. I never had sight to rely on to begin with. So I will never miss it. I will never have the fear of being unable to see, as a seeing man that stands in darkness would have." Haruka interjected. "I can see more than the naked eye, that's my strength." Haruka stood up. "I'm going for a walk, be back soon." and left her parents to discuss the matters.

Haruka walked the streets, and by the fading warmth of the sun, she knew it was sunset. She knew the area well. The smell of dirt, wood, and cut grass pervaded her nose. She was at the ninja training grounds. By the openness of the area, the projectile weapons part. She placed her hand on the ground, and concentrated. There was somebody in the next area walking around. She could hear their light foot falls. Judging the sound of the footfalls, she determined male. She wandered over to where the person was, curious to know what they were doing. She could now feel their presence. He was about as young as her and training hard. The boy detected her presence and whirled around.

"Don't mind me." She replied casually, wondering what they would do. She could sense he was looking at her.

"Who are you, and what do you want?" he asked, in a low tone. He held several kunai in his hands. He had raven black hair and wore grey shorts and a plain blue shirt. His gaze was unfriendly, and serious.

"It's more polite to introduce yourself before demanding another's name" Haruka teased, but replied before he could correct himself. "Name is Haruka Tatsu."

"Sasuke Uchiha" he relied, in the same low unfriendly tone.

"So what are you doing, Sasuke" Haruka asked, wanting to annoy him. She didn't like his tone at all.

"Are you blind, I'm practicing my Target practice" He replied rudely and threw a kunai and hit the target dead on.

"Actually, I am blind…Sasuke" she smirked. She had the urge to fight him now. She didn't know what caused it, but she could sense Sasuke was a strong ninja already. Even before the academy.

Sasuke looked down, "Oh, sorry." He replied in an apologetic tone.

Haruka just started to laugh. Sasuke just looked away, annoyed.

"So, you joining the academy tomorrow?" she asked him, leaning against a nearby stump.

"Yeah, it's expected of me. I want to make my clan proud!" he replied with an unexpected smile. Haruka smiled herself, though she did not show it. She still wondered if she could pull it off, sneaking off to join the academy. Many plans formed in her mind. Then, Sasuke looked at her, realizing she had not replied yet.

"Oh yeah, so am I!" she finally responded, scratching her head sheepishly. She grinned; she really had to stop daydreaming when she was talking to people.

"How can a blind person become a ninja?" Sasuke asked, thinking she was joking. Haruka placed her hands behind her head and smiled.

"Same way as you, with lots of practice." She giggled. She wanted to "Test" her current sensing powers on Sasuke; she just had to provoke him into a fight with her.

"Yeah, like you can even see anything coming. You'll be dead before you knew what hit you" he smirked, he sounded very confident.

"Want to test that, _Uchiha_" she growled playfully, emphasizing the "Uchiha" part to annoy him.

"It will be cake!" he laughed, walking away from her. "So, let's see what you can do?"

Haruka could sense her surroundings perfectly through the vibrations in the ground through her bare feet. The wind rustled the leaves of nearby trees. She could feel Sasuke's chakra in front of her. She could see in her own way, the shape of his body, and where his Chakra was strongest. She could even tell where he placed his feet, and how. There was a faint clanking sound of his weapons to further give away his position.

"Yes, let's see" she replied, more to herself than him. It was her test to see if she could become a shinobi, to see if it is possible for a blind child to overcome her weakness, to see if her dream was possible.

Haruka waited for Sasuke to make the first move. He came at her with a simple direct assault. She knew he would attempt to go easy on her, at first. So, to show off, she let him get very close. Then, she moved very quickly to dodge, and as he passed by on her right side, unable to slow down, she slammed him in his exposed back with her elbow. Sasuke stumbled a little, and whirled around. She could sense his chakra changing a bit, due to his surprise. He came at her again, this time with more tactical assault. He attempted to trip her in a whirling kick. She dodged by jumping and placing her hand on his back and flipping over his shoulder. For the next several moments, all she did was dodge. Finally, Sasuke gave up trying to hit her.

"Man, you dodged every one of them!" He managed to mutter through his deep breaths.

"Heh, that's because you were too slow" she giggled, then turned to leave. She had to get back home before her parents started to worry. Sasuke was going to say something, and then stopped himself.

"Later, Sasuke!" she laughed back at him and started to walk home again. She felt like her dream was much closer than she expected. Then, in the distance, she could sense the familiar chakra of her parents running hurriedly. She ran to catch up with them.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter two: The unfortunate

Shikamaru was standing in front of the Hokage tower, wondering what kind of things were happening at that moment. Then, he decided it was none of his business. He turned when he heard footfalls behind him. Two Shinobi were heading for the flight of stairs at the tower. He recognized the purple and black clothes of the Tatsu clan. Similar to the ones Haruka wore. He assumed it was her parents, for the female looked very much like Haruka. He also noticed the urgency of their pace. There must be a very important task for them to undertake. Shrugging, he walked off down the road to head home, since the sky was starting to get very dark. He did not want to get yelled at by his parents.

"Oi Shikamaru? Is that you?" yelled a female voice, and he turned to see Haruka standing to his left.

"Yeah, what's up Haruka?" he asked, in a casual tone.

"Seen where my parents went? I felt their presence this way." She asked, trying to sense them.

"They were in a hurry; they went to see the Hokage I assume." Shikamaru replied, and started to walk again.

"Oh, ok. Guess it's no use following then." she said, soon following him. Since they lived next door, they might as well walk together.

They made their way through a busy street, dodging carts and people as the night got older. Shikamaru was suddenly shoved from behind, and he whirled around to see who pushed him. An older boy about 14, bearing the headband of a ninja, was standing there smirking. Haruka went and stood by Shikamaru side as he turned to face the boy.

"Hey jerk, what do you think you are doing" he growled at the boy.

"Whatever I want" the older boy replied, he cracked his knuckles.

"Whatever just leaveme alone" Shikamaru glared back, and turned to leave.

"What, you not going to fight him?" Haruka asked suddenly.

"The odds of winning are very low, he is a genin. Not to mention, I dislike direct combat. It's such a drag…" he replied. Haruka just turned to face the boy again; her anger seemed to flare up at this boy. Those treated others like scum, with no respect, almost like he was a god or something.

"You piece of shit!" She growled at him, in a very angry voice. The boy punched his fist into his hand.

"Little kitty wants to fight?" he taunted, then realized she was blind "Poor kitty with no eyes" he said in a babyish voice.

Haruka was in a rage now "This little kitty is going to rip you to shreds with her claws!" She yelled as she leapt at him. The boy, reacting to her attack pulled out a kunai knife. Haruka took a step back. She had no kunai to defend herself with. So she would be unable to fight directly.

"Scared of some steel, kitty?" he taunted more, this time taking the offensive. Not holding back at all. Haruka dodged his slashes and finally was able to get behind him. She punched him very hard between the shoulder blade, and his spine, making it very difficult to wield his kunai now unless he wanted to endure the pain of his injured shoulder.

"Damn" he cursed under his breath. "Fucking bitch!" he yelled, forming hand signs. Haruka, sensing him using a vast amount of chakra, looked for an escape. Just as the boy created a fireball that aimed directly for her. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" he shouted, and it came at her, not sure how to dodge it, Haruka used a jutsu of her clan by instinct to block the flames.

Haruka dodge and jumped behind a crate, the fire exploded around her, causing several Shinobi to come to attention of the fight in the middle of the street. Two Jonin came out to see what was going on. They took the boy by force for causing trouble. Haruka didn't stay around to see what was going to happen to her, and before the smoke cleared, she was gone.

"Why did you do that?" Shikamaru asked, seeing her escape and followed.

"I hate assholes, that's why" she replied, slowing down to a walk. "I can't stand people who take advantage of others, or if they try to establish their ego by example"

"Ay" was all Shikamaru replied with, he could not argue with her opinion. He also hated people like them. He did admire Haruka for her will to risk her life for what she believed in, but she was very reckless.

"Well, that was a nice practice for the academy! See ya in the morning Shikamaru" she yelled as she entered her empty house.

"Yeah yeah" he replied in a whisper, since she was already gone.

XXXXX

Haruka got into bed, for she could not wait for day to come. She rolled on her grey covers, unable to find a suitable resting position. She lay in several positions before finally giving up and getting out of bed. She walked over to her window, and cracked it open. The cool night air washed over her face. She heard something outside that was brought to her attention quickly. Two ninja, by the sound of their footfalls, echoed off the walls of the street.

"Are you sure? The mission succeeded!?" asked a male ninja, in a sad, but grateful tone.

"Indeed, and at a costly price." A female responded. "A legend has been born tonight" and soon the ninja were out of ear shot. Haruka wondered what they were talking about. She shrugged, and was finally able to fall asleep, in the empty house.

The next morning started at 4 am for Haruka. She was so excited, she woke long before the academy would even open. She grabbed her gear, but decided to leave her sword at home. Since it was very big, and was of no use with class work. She dashed out the front door at 5 am, and accidently collided with Shikamaru in the road and fell on her ass.

"Oh crap, Sorry Shika!" she apologized, sprawled on the ground.

"In a rush?!" he replied annoyed. "We still have 2 hours before class" he finished, grabbing Haruka and pulling her to her feet..

"What are you doing out here so early?" Haruka asked, quickly dusting off her clothes.

"A walk, I'm always up early" he replied lazily. Shikamaru started to walk once again down the empty road. Haruka quickly followed. She didn't say anything to Shikamaru for several minutes. She was thinking of what happened with the two Jonin from last night. Shikamaru seemed to notice this sudden absence of chatter from her.

"What?" he muttered.

"Huh?" Haruka replied, being pulled from her thoughts.

"You seem more distant than usually" he explained, looking at her.

"Nah, just thinking about something…" she began, then stopped in her tracks. Haruka felt a horrible sensation of loss at that moment. She did not know where it came from, but she knew something very bad happened last night. Her feelings seemed to reflect on her face. Shika stopped in front of her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked, looking worried.

"I have a horrible feeling…" She explained, "That something very bad happened." Haruka began walking again, shrugging off Shikamaru's hand. "It's nothing, let's go"

"You're a really strange girl, Haruka" Shikamaru replied, and followed her.


	3. Chapter 3

The Unseen chapter 3

"Well, you're a lazy boy" Haruka laughed in response.

"What can I say? I just don't want to trouble myself." Shikamaru replied casually, placing his hands behind his head as they walked.

Soon, the academy was within site. As they predicted, no one was even there. So they just went and sat up against the wall of the main entrance

"Hey, you can meet my friend today, Haruka" Shikamaru said, breaking the silence.

"Oh? What's his name?" she asked, not knowing a lot of people in all of Konoha.

"His name is Choji" he replied, looking off into the distance. "He is really kind"

"Sounds like a nice boy" Haruka replied, and sensed something off into the distance. She heard foot falls not 20 feet from her.

"Heh didn't expect to see you hear so early Choji" Shikamaru asked, with a slight smile. "Choji, this is Haruka. The girl I told you about."

"Oi, hey Haruka." he said, introducing himself. Haruka heard the rustling of a bag, and the crunch of food. She could smell the awesome combination of salt and potatoes. Immediately she lit up.

"Is that…..Ruchi's gourmet potato chips?" She asked, jumping to her feet and found herself several inches from the boy named Choji. "Those are the best chips in the whole WORLD!" Haruka exclaimed.

Choji's jaw dropped. "You know of the divine food maker? Ruchi! I love you already!" Choji exclaimed, and then reaching into his bag of food, he brought out another bag for Haruka. He handed it to her. Haruka was filled with happiness as she ripped open the bag and after yelling "Idatakimasu" she took the first bite of divinity.

Shikamaru just stood and watched the two. "Well that's a first, two snack food junkies" he muttered quietly to himself, almost laughing. So the three sat down next to the wall, and wondered what the academy was going to be like.

"Most likely paperwork" Shikamaru replied. "It's going to be such a drag…"

"Aw man! I can't do paperwork!" Haruka complained, as if she wanted too.

"Uhg! I hate paperwork!" Choji exclaimed through a mouthful of chips.

Haruka stood up. "What if they won't let me become a ninja if I can't read?" she exclaimed horrified.

"They can't really stop you. You probably would have to have a teacher assigned to you to read stuff, and ask questions for tests. You answer verbally" Shikamaru suggested, also standing up. He saw more kids starting to head towards the academy. Choji soon followed suit.

"Seems we better get to our class" Choji proposed.

So the three headed into the academy for the first time. Upon entering the class, they saw their teacher gathering papers at his desk as they walked in.

"Oh, the new students are arriving already? Please take a seat" The man asked, with a gentle smile. He had brown hair tied up, and a deep scar across the bridge of his nose. So the 3 headed to the back of the class.

Haruka sensed several others walking in the class. She was starting to feel uncomfortable. She had never been around so many others in such a small place. She could see many chakras floating around her in her version of site. She started to feel nervous and anxious. She could feel eyes on her, and feel the vibrations of many kids walking around, sending her senses haywire.

"Haruka, are you alright?" Shikamaru asked, with concern in his voice.

"I'm not used to this many people" she replied, trying to only focus only on Shikamaru. It seemed to help.

The teacher in the front cleared his voice to bring the class to order. All the new students quickly came to attention.

"Welcome to your first year as an Academy student. My name is Iruka." He began with a smile. "Now, if you would all take a seat. I will begin with today's first lesson…"

So the day dragged on, Haruka, expecting awesome ninja stuff at the academy, was disappointed. Even though she found learning about the history of Konoha boring, she still listened intently. Then, when she learned of the Kyuubi, she was fascinated by its power. Since she had not lived in Konoha when it destroyed it, she held no grudge. She did want to learn more about it though. So after class, she decided to ask the scarred-faced chunin Iruka about it.

"Iruka-sensei, where is the Kyuubi now?" She asked, not sure whether or not she was suppose to ask these kinds of questions. The scarred chunin looked at her, also realizing she was blind. He didn't say anything at first, but then said.

"Haruka was it? It's not really my place to say, but I will tell you the fox is sealed in a certain individual." Iruka placed a hand on her. "Why did you want to know?" he asked kindly, with the sound of curiosity in his voice.

"It was the only interesting thing you said today" Haruka smiled. Iruka developed a big sweat drop on his brow. "See ya tomorrow Iruka-sensei!" Haruka finished and ran off to catch up with Shikamaru. She passed the 3rd Hokage out the door without realizing it.

XXXXXX

"Hokage-sama, what brings you here?" asked Iruka, as the aged man walked through the door, dodging the speeding Haruka.

"I have come to get a look at our future genin, and it seems they are a rowdy bunch" he replied with a smile.

"Can you believe that girl that just sped by you was blind?" Iruka asked, still stunned that she could move that fast without site.

"Really? She was blind?" Hokage asked, slightly shocked himself. "What was her name?"

"Haruka Tatsu, she seemed to be very attentive in class too." Iruka noted.

"Oh dear…" the Hokage muttered worriedly.

"What is it?" Iruka asked, catching his tone.

"Her parents were killed on a mission last night…" The Hokage began explaining.

XXXXX

Haruka walked home with Shikamaru and debated on how boring class was.

"I fell asleep like 5 times as he discussed the political structure of Konoha…"Shikamaru complained.

"I found the bloody history the most fascinating, wars, fighting, the Kyuubi. I thought that was pretty badass. "Haruka replied, sharing her view.

"It's only cool till you're part of it" he replied, looking up at the sky. Soon, they arrived at their houses.

"See ya tomorrow Shika!" Haruka exclaimed as she entered into her still empty house. As the door closed, she noticed a chakra signature that was not her parents.

"Hello? Who is there?" she asked the darkness that filled her house, she new them to be ninja, and most likely the ANBU. They kept their chakras at a low level when hiding.

"So you can see chakra signatures" asked a male voice from behind. She looked around to see a masked man, an ANBU looking at her.

"Who said you could sneak in my house ANBU?" she demanded, not thinking it was polite for someone to just let themselves in.

"Sorry, it was bad manners." The man replied. He had tuffs of silver hair showing from underneath his mask. "I have come to give you news, alas, very bad news"

Haruka felt a jolt in her stomach, similar to the feeling she felt on the way to the academy. That something terrible happened. The worst thing that could happen, her parents were gone.

"They are gone, right?" Haruka asked. Sorrow deeply embedded into her voice. The man stared at her, not knowing how she knew.

"How did you know?" He asked, walking up to her now glistening face.

"I had a horrible feeling. They say that when a loved one dies, you can feel them disappear" Haruka muttered softly. The man did not know what to say, so to her surprise, the man hugged the small girl in his arms. Haruka cried like she had never before, for now she truly was alone. She regretted all the angry thoughts she had towards her mother on the last day she seen them. She embraced the man she didn't even know. The man let her.

"That is not all, Haruka. You parents are heroes." The ANBU began explaining.

Haruka looked up, and wanted to know more. "They died saving a village from a terrible summon that was destroying the village of Crystal. They gave their lives in a final assault that destroyed the monster in one fell blow." The ANBU finished. She held her head low; she knew what jutsu they probably used. One of the most forbidden of her clan. The kakkei genkai, and its full power.

"Haruka-san, all of your financial priorities are taken care of. You can live here still, and will be given money each day for food. All thanks to your clan" explained the man now known as Kakashi Hatake

"Okay" was all Haruka could mutter through her intense depression.

"I must leave; I wish you luck, Haruka." Kakashi wished, and he seemed to vanish.

Haruka stood there in silence. Her mind raced with thoughts of the future. She had to support herself now, alone. The memories of her parents flashed in her mind. She had to be strong for them. She had to make them proud. Haruka stopped crying, and made a promise to herself she would not cry again. To not show how sad she was to anyone.

XXXXX

Haruka sat alone in her house; she held a picture on the mantle in the living room. It was of her and her parents. She imagined their faces for hours, for she had nothing better to do. She was awaiting the funeral that was going to happen tonight, at dusk. As she felt the air grow cold, she got dressed in all black. Her clothes were put in specific drawers so she knew what colors they were. She now wore black dress-pants and a black shirt with a leather vest. She made her way down the stairs to the outdoors. The streets were empty, as she walked down the dusty road to the memorial site.

She stood in the front of the line with two roses. In front of her was a table with the faces of her parents staring back at her. Her grandfather stood by her side. The Hokage came forth to do a speech.

"_We are gathered here today, to say goodbye to Yoko Tatsu, and Satoshi Tatsu, both loving parents and excellent ninja of Konoha. They paid the ultimate price to protect, and save a village fated for destruction. I am proud to have had such good people in friends in Konoha, even if it were only for 7 years. They showed their loyalty and devotion in many ways…_." The Hokage looked at Haruka for a split second before motioning that they could place their roses on the table with the pictures. Her grandfather placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You first Haruka." He said as she walked up and placed the rose on the table, then said a prayer in her head and walked away.

She then back at her grandfather's side. He had a long mustache and long silver hair and goatee. His eyes were deep gold, almost red in the fading light. Haruka always liked him, for he never doubted her in her dreams. Now he was the only family she had left. Though, she did have the rest of her clan. He was the only one she knew.

Her grandfather walked with her back home. He lived but a few block from her house. He turned to face her before he had to leave her.

"Haruka, if you need anything. Just call me and I'll be over here ASAP." He spoke in a supportive tone. "Things will be harder now, but all things in life are here to teach you. If you learn to embrace the hardships, nothing will stop you from embracing your dreams. Always keep your head high, and always keep trying. That is the way of the Tatsu." With that, he placed his hand on her head and smiled. He turned to leave.

"Good bye Grandfather" and Haruka walked inside her home.


End file.
